DMC Group LLC Acquires New Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

DMC Group LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 4,028 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $544,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Means Investment CO. Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 5.5% during the third quarter. Means Investment CO. Inc. now owns 3,415 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $461,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the period. New Century Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter. New Century Financial Group LLC now owns 1,708 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $231,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Alliance Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $341,000. Raymond James & Associates raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 813,274 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $109,816,000 after buying an additional 49,884 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 132.7% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,643 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $357,000 after buying an additional 1,507 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $137.04 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $139.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $151.58. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $119.88 and a 52-week high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The oil and gas company reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.60 by $0.11. Valero Energy had a net margin of 4.25% and a return on equity of 21.01%. The company had revenue of $34.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.40 EPS. The company’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 9.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on VLO shares. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $177.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $171.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Barclays cut their price objective on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $146.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Scotiabank decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $173.00 to $141.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $158.60.

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation manufactures, markets, and sells petroleum-based and low-carbon liquid transportation fuels and petrochemical products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, Mexico, Peru, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol.